I was embarrassed, sort of. But I fought it. And I won't share the details of the bargain deal because I did feel a tinge of awkwardness as I invested the best part of a day to go see a bike for sale so far off the beaten track it hadn't been viewed for months.
Unwittingly, I'd come across the type of machine and circumstances in which one trader specialises: reasonably rare, decent condition, but not quite at road tax-exempt age, but, key, it was for sale in a far-flung location in Scotland.
Distance understandably puts us off, but it can become a negotiating tool. It's as much about mindset as anything. Research the bike, grill the seller, in this case go through his eBay feedback rating, then make it a day out rather than a pain: allow loads of time, pack away food and drink, suss out somewhere to have a nice lunch and maybe a roadside nap en route - and do the maths.
I'm fortunate to have use of my wife's shop van, but midweek van rental can be cheap.
My target bike was near Aberdeen. I live near Manchester. 350 miles away, a 700 mile round trip, £120 in fuel. The bike was up for £3,000; it had two £20 faults - which a buyer will always over-dramatise, go on, admit it … - and after researching similar examples I reckoned the bike was genuinely worth no more than £1,800.
I agreed to view it, but said up-front I thought it was overpriced. He conceded flexibility in price. Then when I called the seller to confirm some details and I told him how far I'd be travelling, he immediately offered to knock the cost of my fuel off the price. Aha, definitely flexible…
I insisted on detailed photos of any blemishes or faults, video of it starting, running and being ridden. The seller was certainly thorough; every classic bike will have blemishes, and there was a few, but I realised the seller was taking as me doubting its condition.
By the time I'd agreed to view it, and after several days checking things out, even getting proof of his address and establishing he was an honest seller, the asking price had come down to £2,000, and he'd offered to drive 100 miles south with the bike to meet me to boot.
The bike turned out to be a gem.
Upshot? After setting off at 8am I was back home at 8pm with a bike for which I paid £1,500…
One classic bike trader, who wished to remain anonymous given his approach, said that if you're prepared to travel, then there are some bargains and deals to be had.
"My ideal would be registered 39 years ago, for sale in mid-Wales, central Scotland or a seafront town in East Anglia at the end of January. Although the end of any month helps.
"At 39 years old it's not quite exempt from road tax, a long way from a major conurbation puts many buyers off, and the end of January is about as downer a time as there is, with bills to pay and money needed.
"If you think through what you want, carefully consider the risk of buying unseen, but really do homework on the bike and really interrogate the seller, including getting detail images and video sent, and get it into your mind that photos always flatter old bikes, then there's every chance you can buy beyond your expectations.
"I buy and sell, it's my living - although I have held on to a few really nice bikes. Sometimes I can invest in £100 of fuel and a long day to buy a bike from the back of beyond that's been up for sale for ages, pull some faces when I get there and look at it, negotiate hard, get it back to my neck of the woods - the edge of a big city with likely a bigger number of people in the market for a bike - and sell it for a profit as fast as a couple of days later.
"Like I say, I'm a trader - but private buyers, if they're properly prepared, can do the same and end up with the bike of their dreams they'll keep for years," he said.
"If you live in the middle of nowhere and you're selling, then the local captive buying audience is going to be thin on the ground. I've heard of sellers from far flung corners talking to motorcycle shops in or near populated areas and seeing if they'll put it in their shop, offering a commission if it gets bought.
"Some who are confident their bike will sell will hire a van and invest in taking it to several interested parties; be up-front, though, and tell them what you're doing - showing several people. That'll both shake out and put off those who are just tyre kickers, but could also fire up prospective buyers who don't want competition.
"While it's defo a buyer's market while the world economy is going mad, selling isn't impossible: put yourself in the shoes of a seller, understand and at least try to appear to be empathetic to their situation, and there'll be a deal that works for both of you."
All images courtesy of National Highways
